Russia unleashes assault waves on Ukraine’s Avdiivka

"Russia unleashed what Ukraine said was the third major attempt to capture Avdiivka in two months, sending about 50 assaults supported by armour. On one day alone, Ukraine’s military said it had “eliminated” 1,100 Russian soldiers and 30 tanks. Southern forces spokesman Oleksandr Shtupun said Russian attacks were coming in waves, involving 10-20 people, similar to Ukraine’s platoon or company-sized attacks, suggesting manpower limitations." AlJazeera

20-year-old Iraqi arrested for alleged plot to attack Hanover Christmas market

"A 20-year-old Iraqi, suspected of planning a terrorist attack, was arrested by law enforcement authorities in Lower Saxony. The target was allegedly the Hanover Christmas market, with two other individuals also suspected of plotting to create an explosion at the market. Behrens also hinted that more arrests might be forthcoming, indicating that there are radical Islamists residing in Germany who may be planning further attacks, with announcements likely to occur in the digital realm." essanews

Mass Removal of China-linked Facebook Accounts Targeting U.S.

"Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, said it had removed thousands of fake accounts that were part of China-based covert operations to influence social media users from the U.S. and elsewhere." MS

Ukrainian troops destroy 5 Russian ammunition storage points

"Ukrainian Defence Forces hit three areas where Russian personnel, weapons and military equipment, as well as five ammunition storage points were concentrated." MS

Guinea-Bissau: Army Detains suspects Amid Security Forces Clashes

"Guinea-Bissau's army announced on Friday that it had detained the leader of the security forces unit responsible for overnight clashes in the capital and asserted that the situation was now under control.

Throughout the night and into Friday morning, gunfire erupted in Bissau during confrontations between members of the national guard and presidential guard special forces.
The gunfire ensued following the release of two government members by national guard soldiers, who had been questioned by the police on Thursday.
The two men had been summoned by the judiciary on the same day and taken into custody. The reinforcement of presidential security comes at a time when coups or attempted coups are multiplying in West Africa, including in Gabon, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea and, last week, Sierra Leone." AN

World Court rules in favour of Guyana on measures over Venezuela referendum

"The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today ruled that Venezuela must not take any decision that modifies Guyana’s control over the Essequibo region.

This is in relation to its planned referendum on Sunday where one of its questions is tantamount to the annexation of Guyana’s Essequibo county.
The court said that the decision has a binding effect on the parties and creates a legal obligation.
The session was held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court who delivered the order today in the Hague, Netherlands." Stabroek

Chile becomes first South American country to implement Feminist Foreign Policy

"Chile will start implementing “Feminist Foreign Policy,” ....The new foreign policy seeks to

advance in two aspects:
On the international level, Chile will take an active role in bilateral and multilateral forums to advance gender equality. The country will promote coordinated foreign actions that correspond to the Feminist Foreign Policy guidelines. On the domestic level, the government recognizes the persistent gender gaps that prevent the full participation of women in all decision-making spaces. The country will review regulations, processes, and protocols to accelerate and implement the necessary changes to reduce these gaps.
A new Division of Gender Affairs will be created, which will be responsible for the implementation of the Feminist Foreign Policy." ChileToday

Four more Argentines released from Gaza

"Four

Argentine women held in Gaza by the group Hamas were released with a group of
hostages, as reported by sources in the Argentine Government.
They are Ofelia Feler de Roitman, aged 77, Clara Marman, aged 63, and Gabriela Leimberg, aged 59, together with her 17-year-old daughter Mia, all of them Argentine citizens, who had been kidnapped on Saturday, October 7, when Hamas terrorists forcefully entered the kibbutz where they lived." BAT

Security Service blows up another train in Buryatia: Important Russian railroad destroyed

"The Security Service of Ukraine (SSU) has staged a new explosion on a crucial strategic
railway in Russia. Another train was detonated in Buryatia, according to RBC-Ukraine's sources.
According to the informants, the Russians fell into the SSU trap twice. Another train carrying fuel exploded on the Baikal-Amur Mainline, a vital railway used by the Russians, including for military logistics." MS

A downed Russian Shahed drone was found with a Ukrainian SIM card, suggesting the technology was used to pilot the explosive drone

"One of Russia's downed Shahed drones was reportedly found this week with a Ukrainian SIM card inside, suggesting that the technology was used to pilot the explosive attack drone, according to war analysts. Ukrainian Air Force spokesperson Yuriy Ignat said Ukraine is probing what Russia's military's capabilities are with a Ukrainian SIM card and access to the internet on Ukrainian territory as well as whether drones could be operated in this way." MS

Israel Pounds Southern Gaza As Officials Say 'Long War' Expected For A Year Or More

"A UNICEF spokesperson said of the bombardment, "This nightmare for people today just somehow got so much worse." Already, Palestinian sources have said that over 100 have been killed in the last hours of IDF bombing of the Strip. Israeli media is reporting that at least 50 rockets have been launched from Gaza onto southern Israel. The aerial campaign has even expanded to include the southern half of the Strip...The White House has said it supports Israel and has blamed Hamas for the ceasefire's collapse. Israeli officials have explained that Hamas refused to release ten more women captives. Israel says "This violated the terms of the agreement, which specified that Hamas would first release all women and children being held in Gaza in exchange for Israel agreeing to a truce for as long as nine days."

Perhaps the biggest and most ominous development in terms of what the future holds is seen in Israeli officials' words to Financial Times. The Netanyahu is planning for a "long war" which could reach over the next year or more." ZH

Philippine coast guard constructs new surveillance base in the South China Sea to monitor Chinese vessels

"Philippine National Security Adviser Eduardo Ano and other Philippine officials flew to Thitu Island and led a ceremony to open the newly constructed, two-story center that will have radar, ship-tracking and other monitoring equipment — either already installed or added early next year — to monitor China’s actions in the hotly disputed waters and other problems, including sea accidents." FOX

82 combat engagements in frontline over last day

"Over the past day, 82 combat engagements took place. In total, the enemy launched 1 missile and 71 air strikes, fired 80 missile attacks from multiple launch rocket systems at the positions of our troops and settlements. As a result of Russian attacks, unfortunately, there are wounded among the civilian population. Private houses and other civilian infrastructure were destroyed and damaged. The following areas suffered air strikes: Synkivka, Petropavlivka, Ivanivka in Kharkiv region; Toretsk, Novomykhailivka, Avdiivka in Donetsk region; Tyahyntsi, Krynky in Kherson region.

More than 130 settlements in Sumy, Kharkiv, Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions came under artillery fire." Ukrin

US vows to halve Russia’s energy revenues by 2030

"Washington will pursue its sanctions policy on Russian energy “for years to come” as it seeks to halve Moscow’s oil and gas revenues by 2030, a senior US official told the Financial Times....The US has been leading international efforts to restrict Russian oil and fuel exports since the beginning of the Ukraine conflict last year. The EU and G7 countries imposed a $60-per-barrel price ceiling on Russian seaborne crude which bans Western firms from providing insurance and other services to shipments of Russian oil, unless the cargo is purchased at or below the set price." RT

Slovaks block truck traffic to Ukraine through Vyšné Nemecké checkpoint

"Slovak carriers have blocked the truck traffic towards the Vyšné Nemecké-Uzhhorod checkpoint. According to available information, the blocking may be indefinite." Pravada